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1、A Comparative Study of Gullivers Travels andFlowers in the MirrorAbstract: Gullivers travels, written by Jonathan Swift, the famous eighteenth century English satirical writer, and Flowers in the Mirror, written in late Qing Dynasty by the Chinese satirical writer, Li Ruzhen, are written completely
2、according to the respective national cultural traditions. Yet inspite of the distance between them in both times and space, the two authors of different nationalities happen to hold the same views and resemble each other amazingly in their choices of the theme, the literary genre, the structure of t
3、he fiction, and the artistic devices. In both Gullivers Travels and Flowers in the Mirror, many aspects of life are covered, including politics, culture, education, morality and ethics. The writers criticize every kind of malpractices and express their longing for an ideal society and a better futur
4、e. Of course, in the arrangement of detailed plots, there are some differences between the two fictions. For instance, there are some differences between the two authors viewpoints toward the problems existing in the overseas countries; the protagonists professions and their aims of sailing are also
5、 different. This paper tries to analyze the similarities and differences between the two works, so that the reader can know more about the two works and the differences between western and eastern culture. Key words: Gullivers Travels; Flowers in the Mirror; comparative studyIntroductionGullivers tr
6、avels is a novel written by the eighteenth century British writer Jonathan Swift, which recounts the story of an Englishman named Lemuel Gulliver. Through Gullivers adventures in Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Houyhnhnms, and other strange countries, Swift mirrors the social conflicts of England in the 18th
7、 century, exposes the corruption of the ruling class and their robbery and exploitation of others in their capital accumulation. Flowers in the mirror is the extinguished work of a Chinese scholar Li Ruzhen, who sketches a picture of a gergeous world by using his imaginary witty and satirical artist
8、ic style and writing technique, in late Qing dynasty.These two works are written in completely different times, yet they are both widely acknowledged as master pieces of satirical writings.The resemblance between Gullivers Travels and Flowers in the Mirror does not lie merely in the adventurous jour
9、ney and the abundant social criticism; there are other significant points of similarity. In theme, both works are marked by the same ambitious attempt to mirror the totality of their cultures and traditions. In form, both are mixtures of many traditional genres, yet both suffer from misclassificatio
10、n. In style, both are multi-voiced and characterized by fantastic imagination and inventive plots, yet disparaged by upho1ders of serious and morally-dominated literary canons. In attitude, both authors are simultaneously of the reactionary and classicist temperaments, supporting a traditional value
11、 system while undermining it by investigating its aberrations and imperfections.While, there are also some differences lying in the details of the two works. Swift is always an active participant in the political affairs. What he pays close attention to in Gullivers Travels is the important matters
12、connected with politics, law and war. Lis discussion is concentrated more on ethical problems and less on the ruling system，more on concrete social phenomena and less on the essence of the ruling class. And the two works are written by different persons. In addition, we can see some cultural differe
13、nces in the works, which are helpful for readers to clearly understand and deeply study the books.This paper will analyze the two fictions from the following two parts. The first part states the similarities from three aspectsthe writing styles, the formation of the books, and the satire to the real
14、ity and prospect to the society. The last part points out the differences between the two books and two cultures. Part one Similarities of the Two NovelsGullivers Travels is not one of those books which the reader “admires and lays down, and forgets to take up again”（Swift ）. It was a best seller wh
15、en it first came out in 1726, and people have been reading it for pleasure, not merely for profit, ever since. George Orwell read it first just before he was eight, re-read it at least half a dosen times during his short life, and found it “impossible to grow tired of.” “If I were to make a list,” h
16、e wrote, “of six books which were to be preserved when all others were destroyed. I would certainly put Gullivers Travels among them”（Swift）.Flowers in the Mirror is a classical novel like A Dream of Red Mansions, which sings the praises of women; a novel like Pilgrimage to the West, which is not only interesting but also mysterious; a novel like Water Margins, which has about a hundred related figures; a novel like Romance of Three Kingdoms, which has a broad ma
